NFL Pro Bowl to Hold Pigskin Bettors Over Until Big Game

The NFL Pro Bowl may not make for compelling TV, but it is still a market that players bet to hold themselves over until the Super Bowl.

Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs coaching staff will take the sideline for the AFC and Jason Garrett and the Cowboys staff will be calling the plays for the NFC.

Peter Loshak and Mike Brenner, the SBR Odds Couple, give their thoughts as to the Pro Bowl and how players might approach making a bet.

Bookmakers opened the betting market at 4.5 to 5 in favor of the NFC. The line dropped this morning to 4 at Pinnacle (SBR rating A+) and appears to be drifting downward elsewhere.

The total is on offer anywhere from 79.5 to 80 points as teams are not expected to play defense once again. The NFL Pro Bowl format looks and feels a lot like an NBA all star game. 65% of the betting public is not backing down in the face of such a large number and are taking their chances with the over. Athletes don't want to risk injury in what amounts to a meaningless game, and the betting markets reflect that.

The money line opened at -245 in favor of the NFC and has dropped down notably to -185 on average.